The Wankhede Stadium turned into Kathmandu on Tuesday as Nepal roared for the last time in this T20 World Cup. There were close to 20,000 Nepali fans in the stadium, and they turned this inconsequential game into a spectacle for their team. The fans generated sustained volumes and cheered on their players as if the game were played in Kathmandu.
It was the first win for Nepal in a World Cup in 12 years. You can say that it is one of the greatest moments in the country’s sporting history. Thousands from Nepal traveled to Mumbai to witness it. They were celebrating as if it were Dashain, the most popular festival of the country.
The Nepalese captain dedicated this win to the fans. Here is what he said. “I think Nepal has that kind of fan following, and especially in this tournament, after India, only Nepal’s games were packed – completely packed – with a lot of fans coming to the ground to watch Nepal play. So, fan-wise, you will not see any other Associate country with such a following.”
“I think, given the smiles on their faces – especially the way we started against England – a lot of fans were in the ground. But after the England game (which they lost narrowly), even more people came to watch, and as a team, we disappointed them.”
“We wanted to give them a win, to put a smile on their faces, because they have travelled a long way to come here and support us. So I think this win was very important to them, and hopefully from here we will build on it.”
Nepal players also took a lap of honor in acknowledgement of the support from the fans. They were also within touching distance of a win against England in an earlier game. It was an anticlimactic moment for them as they could not finish off the game in the last over. Nepal only needed 10 runs in the last over, and they lost that game. After that game, Nepal didn’t put up a fight against the West Indies and Italy. However, they looked like a transformed side on Tuesday, especially Dipendra Singh Airee.
Dipendra stepped up for the job for Nepal when the team was under pressure. With his batting prowess, he demonstrated why he is rated so high back home. Their team needed 71 runs in the last 6 overs. It was an uphill task, but Dipendra was not having it this time. He launched a brutal strike against Scottish bowlers, pacers, and spinners alike. He scored an unbeaten fifty off just 23 balls at a strike rate of 217.39.
Here is what the Nepal captain said about him. “In this World Cup, he has shown his abilities. We have to learn from him. The way he adapted the situation, the condition. So a lot of players will learn from him.”
Scotland’s captain also praised Airee for what he did in the end. “A lot of credit has to go to Dipendra, the way he played today. It was a fantastic knock. He changed the whole momentum of that innings, and we’ve seen him do it a few times now. So, yeah, as I say, we have to give him a lot of credit for the way he played today.”
